Making Appropriations for Science, the Departmetns of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2006-- Continued

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR SCIENCE, THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006--Continued -- (Senate - September 08, 2005)

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Mr. DAYTON. I thank the distinguished ranking member for assistance in putting this together. I thank my distinguished cosponsor of this amendment, Senator Chambliss of Georgia, for his leadership and involvement in the Byrne Grants, along with Senator Lieberman whose long-time involvement in the grants has been recognized nationally.

It is my understanding the amendment is further cosponsored by Senator Obama, Senator Kerry, and Senator Harkin, and I ask unanimous consent Senators HAGEL, CLINTON, CANTWELL, and SALAZAR be added as original cosponsors of the amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, this amendment increases the funding for the Juvenile Assistance Grants by $275 million, with particular focus on adding that funding to what are called the Byrne Grants, which are local law enforcement grants vital in my State of Minnesota for fighting the scourge of meth that has ravaged communities, that has been so destructive to schoolchildren of all ages, I am sorry to say, particularly teenagers and young adults.

The illegal meth used in production in Minnesota has increased in a skyrocketing fashion. I understand that is true in many other States as well. These Byrne Grants have been essential to Minnesota and other law enforcement efforts to provide the funds necessary to combat the scourge. The funds go to local law enforcement block grants.

The Byrne Formula Grants consolidated into the Justice Assistance Grant have been reduced in the last couple of years. This restores badly needed funding for those purposes. I commend the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member for providing $625 million of funding that is well above what the House of Representatives has provided, $348 million.

This money is desperately needed and will be well used. My amendment is fully offset by various reductions in administrative expenses. I can detail those if Members desire, but it will be fully offset, and has been determined as such by the Congressional Budget Office.

I ask unanimous consent, at the conclusion of my remarks, the following letters of endorsement from the national organizations be added: The National Association of Police Officers, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Minnesota Sheriff's Association, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. DAYTON. I ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort. I believe they will find, as I have, this has almost unanimous support of local law enforcement officials in their States, as it does in mine. The funding is desperately needed, and it will be well used and go to our communities, to our counties, to our States in ways that will be directly involved in reducing juvenile crime as well as other forms of crime.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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